--- title: "headlamp vs console" type: "comparison" canonical_url: "https://www.graphcanon.com/compare/kubernetes-sigs-headlamp-vs-kubestellar-console" tools: ["kubernetes-sigs-headlamp", "kubestellar-console"] --- # headlamp vs console *GraphCanon updated Sep 20, 2026* ## Verdict Pick headlamp if headlamp is a user-friendly Kubernetes web UI built in TypeScript under the Apache-2.0 license for flexible debugging, monitoring, and orchestration tasks; pick console if console is a fully integrated and automated solution for managing and orchestrating Kubernetes clusters, offering both a hosted demo and a self-host option for local installation. [headlamp](https://headlamp.dev) reports 7.3k GitHub stars, 1.1k forks, and 1.4k open issues, last pushed Sep 17, 2026. [console](https://console.kubestellar.io) has 137 stars, 129 forks, and 13 open issues, last pushed Sep 18, 2026. Figures are from public GitHub metadata via [headlamp's repository](https://github.com/kubernetes-sigs/headlamp) and [console's repository](https://github.com/kubestellar/console). | | [headlamp](/tools/kubernetes-sigs-headlamp.md) | [console](/tools/kubestellar-console.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Tagline | A user-friendly Kubernetes web UI that is fully-featured and extensible | Kubernetes management and orchestration solution | | Stars | 7,298 | 137 | | Forks | 1,112 | 129 | | Open issues | 1,446 | 13 | | Language | TypeScript | TypeScript | | Adopt for | Headlamp is a user-friendly Kubernetes web UI built in TypeScript under the Apache-2.0 license for flexible debugging, monitoring, and orchestration tasks. | console is a fully integrated and automated solution for managing and orchestrating Kubernetes clusters, offering both a hosted demo and a self-host option for local installation. | | Persona | - | - | | Runtime | - | - | | License | Apache-2.0 | Apache-2.0 | | Categories | Evaluation & Observability | Developer Tools | ## Trust and health _Sourced signals - not a safety guarantee. No winner column._ | | [headlamp](/tools/kubernetes-sigs-headlamp.md) | [console](/tools/kubestellar-console.md) | | --- | --- | --- | | Open issues (now) | 1.4k | 13 | | Stars delta | +258 (30d) | +12 (30d) | | Open issues delta | +312 (30d) | -16 (30d) | | Full report | [trust report](/tools/kubernetes-sigs-headlamp/trust.md) | [trust report](/tools/kubestellar-console/trust.md) | ## Decision facts: headlamp - **Adopt for:** Headlamp is a user-friendly Kubernetes web UI built in TypeScript under the Apache-2.0 license for flexible debugging, monitoring, and orchestration tasks. ## Decision facts: console - **Adopt for:** console is a fully integrated and automated solution for managing and orchestrating Kubernetes clusters, offering both a hosted demo and a self-host option for local installation. ## Choose when ### Choose headlamp if… - Tags unique to headlamp: cloud-native, dashboard, debugging, devops. - Also covers Evaluation & Observability. - For comprehensive Kubernetes cluster management with a focus on ease of use ### Choose console if… - Tags unique to console: automated, demo data, kubernetes, local install. - Also covers Developer Tools. - When you need a fully integrated and automated solution for managing and orchestrating Kubernetes clusters. ## When NOT to use headlamp - If you require low-level command-line interactions that the web UI does not support - In scenarios where a highly specialized dashboard is needed over a general-purpose option like Headlamp ## When NOT to use console - If you require a tool that connects to a local agent, as the hosted demo does not support this feature. - If you are working in an environment where the Apache-2.0 license is not acceptable. - If you need a solution that does not require starting both the console binary and a pre-built kc-agent for local installation. ## Common questions ### What is the difference between headlamp and console? headlamp: A user-friendly Kubernetes web UI that is fully-featured and extensible. console: Kubernetes management and orchestration solution. See the comparison table for live GitHub stats and shared categories. ### When should I choose headlamp over console? Choose headlamp over console when Tags unique to headlamp: cloud-native, dashboard, debugging, devops; Also covers Evaluation & Observability; For comprehensive Kubernetes cluster management with a focus on ease of use. ### When should I choose console over headlamp? Choose console over headlamp when Tags unique to console: automated, demo data, kubernetes, local install; Also covers Developer Tools; When you need a fully integrated and automated solution for managing and orchestrating Kubernetes clusters. ### When should I avoid headlamp? If you require low-level command-line interactions that the web UI does not support In scenarios where a highly specialized dashboard is needed over a general-purpose option like Headlamp ### When should I avoid console? If you require a tool that connects to a local agent, as the hosted demo does not support this feature. If you are working in an environment where the Apache-2.0 license is not acceptable. If you need a solution that does not require starting both the console binary and a pre-built kc-agent for local installation. ### Is headlamp or console more popular on GitHub? headlamp has more GitHub stars (7,298 vs 137). Stars measure visibility, not whether either tool fits your constraints. ### Are headlamp and console open source? Yes - both are open-source projects on GitHub (headlamp: Apache-2.0, console: Apache-2.0). ### Where can I find alternatives to headlamp or console? GraphCanon lists graph-backed alternatives at [headlamp alternatives](/tools/kubernetes-sigs-headlamp/alternatives) and [console alternatives](/tools/kubestellar-console/alternatives) ([headlamp markdown twin](/tools/kubernetes-sigs-headlamp/alternatives.md), [console markdown twin](/tools/kubestellar-console/alternatives.md)), ranked by typed relationship edges rather than popularity votes. ### Is there a machine-readable version of this comparison? Yes. The markdown twin at [this comparison](/compare/kubernetes-sigs-headlamp-vs-kubestellar-console.md) mirrors this page for agents and LLM crawlers, with the same stats table and FAQ answers. ### Which is better maintained, headlamp or console? headlamp: Very active. console: Very active. Compare maintenance labels, days since push, and release cadence in the trust section below - stars alone do not measure maintenance. ### Where are the full trust reports for headlamp and console? GraphCanon publishes per-repo trust reports with dated maintenance, provenance, and scan summaries: [headlamp trust report](/tools/kubernetes-sigs-headlamp/trust); [console trust report](/tools/kubestellar-console/trust). --- **Machine-readable endpoints** - JSON: [`/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kubernetes-sigs-headlamp`](/api/graphcanon/graph?tool=kubernetes-sigs-headlamp) - LLM index: [/llms.txt](/llms.txt) - Full corpus: [/llms-full.txt](/llms-full.txt) _GraphCanon - The knowledge graph for AI development. https://www.graphcanon.com/_